Brothers and Sisters,

First, allow me to share with you these recent words from the First Presidency, delivered by President Dallin H. Oaks in a newly released video: “We have just celebrated the birth of Jesus Christ. We now approach the celebration of Easter…. For Latter-day Saints, the resurrection means that all who have ever lived will be resurrected; and the resurrection is literal. As we read in the Book of Mormon, ‘now there is a death which is called a temporal death and the death of Christ and his atonement shall loose the bands of this temporal death that all shall be raised from this temporal death.’

“Redemption through Jesus Christ is the central message of the prophets of all ages. The books of the New Testament teach that our Savior’s suffering and His bloodshed atones for our sins and that His Resurrection assures that all who have ever lived on this earth will also be resurrected. Then, we will all live forever with a glorified body of flesh and bones. When we understand the vital position of the resurrection in God's plan of redemption that governs our eternal journey, we see why the apostle Paul taught if there be no resurrection of the dead then is our preaching vain and your faith is also vain.

“As we enter this new year let us prepare for an Easter celebration of the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ culminating in His Resurrection—the most glorious event in history. And this causes us to contemplate our own future resurrection. No matter what others believe or do, we should celebrate the Resurrection of our living Savior by studying His teachings and helping to establish Easter traditions in our society as a whole—especially within our own families. We challenge you to do so. As an example of such celebrations we can be inspired by the Easter Sunday practice in some parts of the world where believers greet one another with a three word exclamation, “He is risen!” The person so greeted responds with the same words, “He is risen!” There are other ways to celebrate Easter. We can recognize the significance of the resurrection by teaching the profound meaning of the universal resurrection which is made possible by the great plan and the boundless love of God the Father and our Savior Jesus Christ. I testify of these things and invoke His blessings upon you in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.”

As a bishopric, we echo the First Presidency’s charge to consider traditions you might incorporate into your celebration of the Resurrection of the Son of God. Let’s work now to prepare our hearts and minds to celebrate the reason for all hope. As a ward council, we are planning a special Easter sacrament meeting program. And we invite you to prayerfully and joyfully extend an invitation to someone you care about to join us for that special meeting on Easter Sunday, April 20, 2025.

With love and joyful anticipation,

Ben Peterson
Bishop